Republican candidate surfacesFree Access

Approaching the 11th hour, Ulster Republicans may have come up with a candidate for county executive in next month’s special election. But Tiffany Christiana, 40, of Country Club Estates in the town of Ulster, has gotten off to a rocky start in her would-be political career.

A candidate for one of two openings on the Ulster Town Board at Tuesday’s party caucus, Christiana finished a distant fourth (among four candidates) to Clayton Van Kleeck and incumbent Eric Kitchen. Van Kleeck, a former Kingston school board president, led the vote with 134, to Kitchen’s 132, followed by Rick Negron’ 97. Christiana had 73.

Christiana, 40, is a nurse with a master’s degree in public administration from Marist College. She is married to Dr. Joseph Christiana, a cardiologist who practices in Kingston. The couple has two children.

If nominated by Republicans at special session on Saturday at the Shawangunk fire house in Wallkill, Christiana will face Democratic nominee Patrick Ryan, 36, of Gardiner in the April 30 special election. The winner will take office immediately and serve until the end of the year, completing former county executive Mike Hein’s last term. A primary will be held in June to determine candidates for the November general elections and a full, four-year term for county executive.